Do you still lose your birth countries citizenship?

[gatoradenz 0]

I was told if I apply for USA citizenship I would lose my new zealand citizenship, but I've had friends take their usa citizenship & kept their nz passports. Can anybody confirm this for me? I don't want to lose my nz citizenship.

[OKflyboy 35]

I do not know about NZ, but for me it would be very difficult to get rid of my RF citizenship, even if I wanted to. A lot of paperwork and money. So no, you do not necessarily lose your native citizenship. Some countries take it away from you when you pledge allegiance to a foreign country, some don't.

Those that do not may or may not recognize dual citizenship. Russia does not. But they also don't care if I have any other citizenship.

Edited July 26, 2011 by OKflyboy

[VanessaTony 3,567]

I was told if I apply for USA citizenship I would lose my new zealand citizenship, but I've had friends take their usa citizenship & kept their nz passports. Can anybody confirm this for me? I don't want to lose my nz citizenship.

No you won't lose it. http://www.800citizen.com/dualCitizenship.htm No stress

[BSquared 9]

I was told if I apply for USA citizenship I would lose my new zealand citizenship, but I've had friends take their usa citizenship & kept their nz passports. Can anybody confirm this for me? I don't want to lose my nz citizenship.

I believe that the US only recognizes your US Citizenship.

Read this link (under Part 1 beginning at 15): http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1977/0061/latest/whole.html#DLM443886

[Catt 6]

No you won't lose it. http://www.800citizen.com/dualCitizenship.htm No stress

Just a heads up that this list is not up to date. For example, my country of origin (Belgium) changed its legislation regarding dual citizenship in 2007, this went into effect in 2008. But this change is not reflected in the above mentioned document. So please be sure to check for more recent updates about New Zealand as well.

[sharky 2]

more to the point, why the hell would you want to move from NZ to the USA, lol

[NickD 202]

Certainly a country dependent question, some countries just don't want to lose their natural born citizens. Like Colombia for example, wife would like to forget she was even born there. But not really sure if they want to keep her, they do let her leave provided she maintains her Colombian ID and passport. Really don't have receipts, they don't give that, most of it was paid with US cash, but sure it was over $1,500.00 US dollars.

My guess is they just wanted her cash. She really doesn't have any benefits by being a Colombian citizen, except for being able to visit her mom. Are there benefits to being a New Zealand citizen?

[VanessaTony 3,567]

I believe that the US only recognizes your US Citizenship.

Read this link (under Part 1 beginning at 15): http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1977/0061/latest/whole.html#DLM443886

Yes this is true. But the US doesn't remove your other countries citizenship, or advise your home country that you took the oath. Some countries (not Australia, nor the UK, nor NZ) consider simply taking the oath to be you renouncing your home countries citizenship (like China.. and flying into china on a chinese passport when you have a US one is fraud and you can be arrested if caught, it's happened before). Some (like Aus) require you to withdraw in writing, simply taking the oath isn't enough.

Just a heads up that this list is not up to date. For example, my country of origin (Belgium) changed its legislation regarding dual citizenship in 2007, this went into effect in 2008. But this change is not reflected in the above mentioned document. So please be sure to check for more recent updates about New Zealand as well.

Yeah I know sorry should have mentioned that but I was in a hurry. I know that Aus and NZ and UK are fine and for those the site is "up to date" but nevertheless it is good advise that you should always check your home countries information. Note though that it's now no longer "dual citizenship" it's "dual nationality" so try searching both terms.

[BSquared 9]

Yes this is true. But the US doesn't remove your other countries citizenship, or advise your home country that you took the oath. Some countries (not Australia, nor the UK, nor NZ) consider simply taking the oath to be you renouncing your home countries citizenship (like China.. and flying into china on a chinese passport when you have a US one is fraud and you can be arrested if caught, it's happened before). Some (like Aus) require you to withdraw in writing, simply taking the oath isn't enough.

I knew some countries required paperwork in order to withdraw citizenship - I didn't know the exact rules for NZ (Benjamin isn't a citizen there) that's why I attached the link. But I know the US doesn't remove the other citizenship. I didn't know all of the rules - that's why I only mentioned the US recognizing only your US Citizenship. Sorry. I figured it was easier to tell what I did know than to include false information. By recognize - I didn't mean 'the only one' I meant - 'in their (US's) eyes it's the only one'. Sorry for the confusion.

[gatoradenz 0]

Thanks for all the replies. Nz recognizes dual citizenship, my children although american born have it by descent. I just dont want to lose mine should we ever decide to move back.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

It is completely irrelevant whether or not New Zealand recognizes dual citizenship or not. The US does not recognize dual citizenship, but doesn't object to their citizens holding another citizenship.

New Zealand permits their citizens to hold another citizenship since January 1, 1949, and a citizen of New Zealand won't lose their citizenship unless they exercise their "other" citizenship in a way that is not in the interest of New Zealand.

The former California governator, Arnold the Babarian, found himself in such a situation. Even before Austria allowed dual citizenship, he got special permission from the Austrian government to keep his Austrian citizenship when naturalizing as a US citizen. Then, when he signed various death penalty cases as a Governator, the Austrian government threatened to take away his Austrian citizenship based on the death penalty being against Austrian law, which in this case means that Arnold acted within US law but by doing so violated the law Austrian citizens have to obey by.

[HeatDeath 430]

The Arnold-Austria thing is interesting; Even in cases where dual citizenship is legally possible, and even recognized by at least one of the countries involved, things can get very grey and very dicey if you run for and win a "policy-level" office. Canada has issues with it's citizens being awarded titles of nobility or "policy-level" positions in other countries as well.

Canada, among many other countries, recognizes dual nationality, but ignores the renunciation clause of the US citizenship oath - you're a Canadian citizen for life unless you do some very specific paperwork at a Canadian consulate. Being a fellow Commonwealth country, NZ may be the same.

[NickD 202]

Look at this as that "place of birth" issue, neither the USCIS or the Department of State lets you forget where you were born because they plaster that on your US naturalization certificate and your US passport. Kids born here of illegals are US citizens.

Never had reason to apply for a US passport until I met my wife in Venezuela, my companies consistently sent me to Canada and Mexico, didn't need a passport for that, we covered strictly North America. Thought I was too valuable to be sent to 3rd world countries. All I needed to get my first US passport was my birth certificate, no history was required, like did I leave this country the day after I was born. Did speak to a DOS agent about delays, just told me was being checked to see if I was on the FBI hotlist. But since I met my wife, the USCIS was certainly interested in my history, but that was because I was marrying an immigrant. Don't have to deal with the USCIS just to get a US passport.

Feel all countries are that way, if you were born there, you are a citizen of that country for life. Wife didn't really have problems reestablishing her Colombian citizenship, hasn't live there in 30 years. But unlike here where you can apply directly, they make you go through those crooked notaries first that rob you blind. But we had to go through that as she had born in Colombia on her US passport, and they won't admit her without a Colombian passport because of that.

Her daughter easily got in with her US passport, because she was born in Venezuela. But she was kicking around going to school in Colombia, cheaper there than here, a hell of a lot cheaper. Since both of her parent were born in Colombia, all she needed was there birth certificates and hers to gain Colombian citizenship. None of that immigration stuff like here. But still those crooked notaries that do nothing more than go to their courthouses to get copies of the same stuff she already has originals of. She elected not to go, guess two weeks down there was enough for her. But the point is, not what you want that counts, to be a citizen of any country, but where you and your parents were born.

For the fun of it, I am third generation Italian and have my grandparents papers. Contacted the Italian consulate in Chicago, with those papers and even being third generation, they want me back as an Italian citizen. Because my grandparents were born there, no other reason.

Wife wanted no part of being a Colombian citizen, but had no choice if she wants to visit her family once or twice a year. I know the DOS calls it dual naturalization, a play on words. It dual citizenship, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

And the only thing that counts is where you were born, and this never was done by choice that makes it even more ironic. Seems like just those communism countries make an issue of getting US citizenship. Expecting Venezuela to make an issue out of this soon.

[warlord 72]

Plain and simple, New Zealand recognizes dual citizen-ship so you will have no issues with getting US citizenship since like many other countries, your home country (New Zealand) will always consider you a citizen first and foremost regardless, and any other citizenships you acquire are meaningless in their eyes.

So you are perfectly fine to go for citizenship here and not have to worry...

[gatoradenz 0]

Again thank you everyone for the replies..... Guess who's going for their usa citizenship!!!! yes this new zealander!!!!!